University Education in Natural ResourcesUniversity Education in Natural ResourcesMarch 15, 2008March 15, 2008

Andrea Wirth and Janine SalwasserAndrea Wirth and Janine SalwasserOregon State University LibrariesOregon State University Libraries

Oregon Explorer: natural Oregon Explorer: natural resources information resources information for current and future for current and future

decision-makersdecision-makers

What is the Oregon Explorer?What is the Oregon Explorer?

Natural Resources Digital Natural Resources Digital LibraryLibrary

Place-based resourcePlace-based resource

Supports informed natural Supports informed natural resource decision-makingresource decision-making

www.oregonexplorer.info

Browse multi-media stories Browse multi-media stories Learn about critical natural resource issuesLearn about critical natural resource issues View data and make custom maps and reportsView data and make custom maps and reports Access archived digital informationAccess archived digital information View photos, and videosView photos, and videos Search datasetsSearch datasets Download (and soon upload) GIS dataDownload (and soon upload) GIS data Access photos, videos, audio filesAccess photos, videos, audio files Contact the expertsContact the experts Submit your resources to the Explorer digital librarySubmit your resources to the Explorer digital library Give feedbackGive feedback

Digital Library Services in the Digital Library Services in the Explorer SeriesExplorer Series

Available for anyone who has high speed Internet access…from work, home, library, etc.

Oregon Explorer Creators & Oregon Explorer Creators & ContributorsContributors

Partnership between Partnership between & & INRINR

Charged with creating a natural resource Charged with creating a natural resource information system for Oregoniansinformation system for Oregonians

Oregon University System (OUS) basedOregon University System (OUS) based OSU LibrariesOSU Libraries

CollectionsCollections Digital initiativesDigital initiatives

Oregon Explorer Creators & Oregon Explorer Creators & ContributorsContributors

Team members with diverse backgrounds and Team members with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertiseareas of expertise

Partners for basin and topic portalsPartners for basin and topic portals

Educational ApplicationsEducational Applications

1.1. OSU Classroom UseOSU Classroom Use

2.2. Online Courses Outside OSUOnline Courses Outside OSU

3.3. K-12 Classroom and Field opportunitiesK-12 Classroom and Field opportunities

4.4. FreeFree Choice Learning Choice Learning

1. OSU Classroom Use1. OSU Classroom Use

Publicity & media coveragePublicity & media coverage Topical and geographical coverageTopical and geographical coverage

Portal features support a variety of course Portal features support a variety of course assignmentsassignments

Examples from OSU coursesExamples from OSU courses

Undergraduate GIS courseUndergraduate GIS course

Need: Background information and data for Need: Background information and data for final projectfinal project

Willamette Basin ExplorerWillamette Basin Explorer Issues and actionsIssues and actions Links to external data sourcesLinks to external data sources

Undergraduate/Graduate Undergraduate/Graduate Geography CourseGeography Course

Need: Data and maps about Measure 37 claimsNeed: Data and maps about Measure 37 claims Land Use ExplorerLand Use Explorer

Measure 37 toolMeasure 37 tool Links to Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies Links to Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies

databasedatabase ReportsReports

demo

Undergraduate Undergraduate Water Science & Policy ClassWater Science & Policy Class

Need two-fold:Need two-fold: OE team needed expert writersOE team needed expert writers Students in course need online resourcesStudents in course need online resources

2. Online Courses Outside OSU2. Online Courses Outside OSU

Exercises for Alternative Future ScenariosExercises for Alternative Future Scenarios

The following series of exercises are designed to allow students to The following series of exercises are designed to allow students to interactively explore and evaluate alternative futures that have been interactively explore and evaluate alternative futures that have been developed for the Willamette River Basin and to participate in developing developed for the Willamette River Basin and to participate in developing alternative futures for their own community. The first two exercises will alternative futures for their own community. The first two exercises will use the Digital Library website for the Willamette Explorer at Oregon State use the Digital Library website for the Willamette Explorer at Oregon State University. The third exercise will guide students in developing alternative University. The third exercise will guide students in developing alternative futures for their own community and evaluating its relevance to their futures for their own community and evaluating its relevance to their future.future.

Exercise 1: Dynamic representation of alternative futuresExercise 1: Dynamic representation of alternative futuresThis exercise will require approximately 30-60 minutes for the online This exercise will require approximately 30-60 minutes for the online portion of the exercise and an equal amount of time for the follow-up portion of the exercise and an equal amount of time for the follow-up discussions.discussions.

Example from proposed American Museum of Natural History Example from proposed American Museum of Natural History module for educators (course instructor: Dr. Stan Gregory, OSU)module for educators (course instructor: Dr. Stan Gregory, OSU)

Multi-media story on Oregon land useMulti-media story on Oregon land use

McCall talks of the problem of Oregon losing

its credibility as the “environmental model of this nation” through the “unfettered despoiling of

our land”

3. K-12 Classroom and Field 3. K-12 Classroom and Field OpportunitiesOpportunities

GIS Day feature: GIS Day feature: making a basic map in 3 easy stepsmaking a basic map in 3 easy steps

Learning about salmon distributions over timeLearning about salmon distributions over time

1991 Coho Abundance 2003 Coho Abundance

Oregon Explorer - K12 Oregon Explorer - K12 Application Ideas for Classroom and FieldApplication Ideas for Classroom and Field

Use of Global Positioning Units (GPS), Geographic Use of Global Positioning Units (GPS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), GIS Field Loggers, Information Systems (GIS), GIS Field Loggers, Environmental Monitoring Equipment outside, and then again Environmental Monitoring Equipment outside, and then again in the classroomin the classroom

Provide online curricula to teachers for scienceProvide online curricula to teachers for science

Support biology, geography, geology, civics trainingSupport biology, geography, geology, civics training

Enable current and future decision-makers to learn about Enable current and future decision-makers to learn about Oregon's environment and to actively engage in creating and Oregon's environment and to actively engage in creating and sharing knowledge about decisions that matter to them and sharing knowledge about decisions that matter to them and their local communitiestheir local communities

4. Free Choice Learning4. Free Choice Learning

Free-choice learning is "the most common Free-choice learning is "the most common type of lifelong learning" and is "self-type of lifelong learning" and is "self-motivated and guided by the needs and motivated and guided by the needs and interests of the learner." interests of the learner."

----Institute for Learning InnovationInstitute for Learning Innovation

A new concept for the Oregon Explorer-- A new concept for the Oregon Explorer-- Creating a digital library that supports free Creating a digital library that supports free choice learningchoice learning

Potential Oregon Explorer Potential Oregon Explorer Roles for EducatorsRoles for Educators

Educate students and other teachers on use of OEEducate students and other teachers on use of OE Archive relevant education articlesArchive relevant education articles Contribute “stories”Contribute “stories” Contribute ideas for new tools & informationContribute ideas for new tools & information Identify emerging issues and decision-support needsIdentify emerging issues and decision-support needs Evaluate usabilityEvaluate usability Partner to create Oregon Explorer education tools, Partner to create Oregon Explorer education tools,

lesson plans, curricula, etc.lesson plans, curricula, etc. Inspire and engage our future decisionmakersInspire and engage our future decisionmakers

…… …….. but mostly, …….... but mostly, ……..

www.oregonexplorer.info

Use the site!Use the site!

Browse multi-media stories Browse multi-media stories Learn about critical natural resource issuesLearn about critical natural resource issues View data and make custom maps and reportsView data and make custom maps and reports Access archived digital informationAccess archived digital information View photos, and videosView photos, and videos Search datasetsSearch datasets Download (and soon upload) GIS dataDownload (and soon upload) GIS data Access photos, videos, audio filesAccess photos, videos, audio files Contact the expertsContact the experts Submit your resources to the Explorer digital librarySubmit your resources to the Explorer digital library Give feedbackGive feedback

Summary of Digital Library Summary of Digital Library Services in the Explorer SeriesServices in the Explorer Series

Available for anyone who has high speed Internet access…from work, home, library, etc.

Any Questions?Any Questions?